Serinus Canaria: The Canary in the Coal Mine - Jonathan Richter

Serinus Canaria: The Canary in the Coal Mine
by Jonathan Richter

Serinus Canaria is the scientific name for the canary, and this work reflects on the damage that human-caused climate change has had on the Earth from the vantage point of that bird. Written for a cappella choir with optional piano, this work musically portrays the long term cooling of Earth's climate since the last Ice Age and the rapid increase in temperature since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, especially the last 50 years. The middle passage reflects the sense of urgency that so many of us feel in facing this existential threat and extends a message of hope that through conservation, innovation, and education humans can right the wrongs of our past. This work seeks to inspire singers and audiences to confront the issue of climate change and work toward creating a sustainable society for future generations.

To view the score, hear a recording, and purchase copies, visit www.jwpepper.com/myscore/JonathanRichter or reach out directly at [email protected].

Notes:

As a result of humankind’s actions since the Industrial Revolution, Earth’s atmosphere has changed more dramatically in the last 50 years than at any time since the ice sheets of the Last Glacial Period (LGP) receded over 10,000 years ago. On a smaller scale, the wild canary (Serinus canaria) has had a unique vantage point for viewing humankind’s impact on the natural world. Native to the Azores and other islands in the mid-Atlantic, wild canaries were captured, bred, and sold around the world for centuries as a cage bird. In the 1800s, caged canaries were famously used in coal mines because they were particularly susceptible to dangerous gasses like carbon monoxide and methane. When levels of those gasses rose to unsafe levels in the mine, the birds, suffering from asphyxiation, would panic and often die but give miners enough time to escape the poisonous gasses. It is indeed a cruel irony that canaries were used as environmental distress signals inside mines while humans were extracting fossil fuels and poisoning Earth’s air on a planetary level.

"Serinus canaria: The Canary in the Coal Mine" pictorializes humanity’s impact on Earth’s climate through music. The first 34 measures of the work were composed such that if a choir has 25 singers between the alto and tenor sections, the word “year” will have been chanted approximately 10,000 times, replicating roughly the number of years since the last ice age (don’t worry if your numbers don’t match that – the aural effect will basically be the same). Furthermore, the gradually falling alto line represents the general cooling pattern that Earth’s atmosphere was in for 10,000 years until the last century, and the tritone glissando up proportionally represents the rapid temperature increase of the last 50 years both in terms of rhythmic duration and melodic interval.

The middle passage of this work dwells not on the scary side of climate change, but on the belief that nature has the ability to heal and that humanity has the ability to turn around its impact on the Earth. Through conservation, innovation, and education I believe that humans can right the wrongs of our past and create a sustainable society for future generations. Climate change poses a current existential threat to human life on Earth, and as such this issue is one in which we all have a common stake. United climate action is indeed an act of neighborly love, and the first step is widespread education and recognition of the challenge.

Recording performed by members of the UMass Lowell Chamber Singers.

Jonathan Richter (DMA) is a composer primarily of choral music, often with the subject matter revolving around themes of nature. An ardent supporter of environmental causes and lover of all things outdoors, Jonathan composes music that inserts an appreciation of the natural world and a fascination with ecology into the realm of art music. In addition to his musical pursuits as a composer and choral conductor, Jonathan runs a community walking group in his hometown called Wander Together, which helps people enjoy the outdoors, build community, and enhance their physical and mental wellness by taking walks in the woods with others. Dr. Richter is the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.